Chapter 48

Wei Xiaolu didn’t know whether too much floral fragrance could make you dizzy, but Shen Siyan’s words—blunt to the point that they couldn’t be any more blunt—had already scared the soul out of her.

She really hadn’t expected Shen Siyan to say it so brazenly.

But to say she had never considered that Shen Siyan might also like women… how could she not have thought of it?

Only now that everything had been laid out in the open did she have no idea what emotion she was supposed to respond with. All she remembered was that she’d gone silent because she couldn’t answer, so, almost on pure survival instinct, she switched into office brown-noser mode.

“Really? I had no idea!” She raised her voice a little and exclaimed with exaggerated surprise. “But thinking about it, it makes total sense. Someone as smart and amazing as CEO Shen—only a girl would be worthy of you!”

As she spoke, she reached for the car door, still trying to improvise an explanation. “Aiya, don’t worry, beautiful lady.”

With a click, the door opened. Wei Xiaolu leaned half her body out of the car, then turned back to assure Shen Siyan, “My mouth is the tightest! I promise I won’t go around saying anything; I’ll defend your image forever.”

After that, she didn’t wait for Shen Siyan’s reaction and shut the door as if fleeing for her life.

Save me. Save me.

She had just blurted out so much, like a cannon going off; it was really too fake, too stupid, too full of holes. Wei Xiaolu even felt as if her brain had settled out, leaving only clear, foolish serum behind.

Shen Siyan opened the door and got out of the car.

Then she turned and looked at her. “Alright. As long as you know.”

Shen Siyan’s expression was faint, as if she were telling Wei Xiaolu that now that you’ve accidentally learned this today, keep your mouth shut and guard the secret to the death; yet it also sounded as though she were implying that everyone else in the world didn’t matter—only that I want you to know.

Wei Xiaolu felt dizzy, maybe because her heartbeat was too fast; she was short of oxygen.

She took a deep breath and replied, “Yes, CEO Shen. I’m so honored to be entrusted with your secret.”

Shen Siyan probably hadn’t expected her to fight back like that. A flicker of surprise passed through her eyes, then she smiled and walked forward. “Only honored?”

“Isn’t there also the shock?” Wei Xiaolu followed her out of the garage. “You always say things that scare people.”

“I won’t scare you anymore.” Shen Siyan tilted her head and smiled faintly. “These flowers suit you very well.”

Wei Xiaolu: “……”

There it was again. She was really going to keep throwing out lines so shocking they were impossible to answer.

Wei Xiaolu felt as if she were walking on clouds, light all over, and replied, “They’d suit you too.”

“The flowers?” Shen Siyan asked.

If not the flowers, then what, me?

Wei Xiaolu felt that after taking down Zhaolan today, this woman had completely let herself off the leash. Every word she said made people want to read into it.

“Of course,” Wei Xiaolu said as she stepped onto the last two stairs. “Tomorrow I’ll put the flowers on your desk.”

“They were given to you,” Shen Siyan said with a smile, glancing at Wei Xiaolu. “Then put them on your desk.”

They had reached the apartment door. Shen Siyan entered the password and opened it, but didn’t go in. She stepped back and gestured for Wei Xiaolu to enter first.

At that point, Wei Xiaolu stopped being polite and swept in with a flick of her head.

After exchanging a few more words with Shen Siyan, Wei Xiaolu carried the flowers back to her bedroom.

She went online to check the developments. Although Zhaolan couldn’t exactly be called a case of everyone kicking it while it was down, the online backlash had already been fierce, and it had been branded with the label of a “copycat.”

Shen Siyan really knew how to seize the right moment. Launching the integrated new platform at a time like this meant that no matter whether the product’s results were good or bad, it would be praised as the right move; and with the updated version of the smart finance and tax system released at the same time, she could be said to have solidified the market position from every angle and won a successful battle to establish authority.

A triumphant return meant this evening should have been a comfortable, relaxing time to rest.

But Wei Xiaolu heard that Shen Siyan was still working in the next room. The sound was muffled through the wall, but she could roughly tell that Shen Siyan was gathering evidence of Chen Dongqi’s crimes from someone.

The laptop battery was low; the screen’s colors dimmed, and Wei Xiaolu saw her own face reflected in it.

Along with it was a cluster of lilies reflected in the lower-left corner.

Her heartbeat, embarrassingly enough, began to lose its rhythm again. The computer was clearly full of good news about the company’s great victory, but she couldn’t quite focus on it. The noise from next door gradually faded; was Shen Siyan done dealing with things? Would Shen Siyan also think back to the scene in the car, when she had teased Wei Xiaolu until her face went bright red?

Just then, the bedroom door was suddenly knocked on.

Then came Shen Siyan’s voice, brief and to the point: “Xiaolu, are you asleep? I want to explain today’s matter to you.”

Wei Xiaolu snapped the laptop shut with a thud and almost moved to the door on autopilot. “Not yet, CEO Shen. I’m coming.”

When she opened the door, Shen Siyan was already standing there without her suit jacket, wearing a white silk blouse tucked into high-waisted jeans, drawing out the smooth line of her waist and hips.

“Still not resting this late?” Shen Siyan asked, blocking the doorway.

Standing and talking at the door was a little awkward, and with Shen Siyan in the way, Wei Xiaolu couldn’t get out either. She had no choice but to step aside. “Not yet… CEO Shen, are you coming in?”

Shen Siyan’s gaze paused briefly on her face; a smile slipped from the corner of her mouth, like a nimble koi flashing past.

“The matter with Qi Lang,” Shen Siyan said as she came inside, her voice still a little hoarse from overwork, “has something to do with my family.”

Wei Xiaolu felt like a dying old battery leaking acid, her whole body swollen and misshapen from the sourness inside her.

“Oh…” She dragged over a stool for Shen Siyan.

Shen Siyan sat down and gave a very faint smile, though it never reached her eyes; it looked more like self-mockery.

“No need to be nervous. It’s not that complicated.” She paused, as if considering something, then said, “And it’s not really something worth worrying about.”

Wei Xiaolu had no standing to disagree and gave a soft acknowledgment before sitting across from Shen Siyan.

Then she suddenly realized this seemed to be the first time Shen Siyan had ever come into her room.

“I didn’t go back today for a date. I went to make things clear. My father and I…” Shen Siyan paused. “The conflict between us didn’t build up in a day or two.”

Wei Xiaolu felt Shen Siyan’s throat must be close to smoking and handed her a bottle of mineral water. “President Shen, please have some water first.”

“Thanks.” Shen Siyan twisted open the cap and took a sip. When she spoke again, her voice was much clearer. “He still thinks that everything I’m doing now is just playing around, and that in the end I’ll still have to return to the path he laid out for me and accept his arrangements, including marrying Qi Lang.”

At that, Shen Siyan let out a cold laugh.

Wei Xiaolu clenched the hem of her clothes. Shen Siyan had told her not to be nervous, but she still was.

She understood perfectly that Shen Siyan was telling her this so she could feel at ease and not overthink it. But Shen Siyan knew she would overthink it, and Shen Siyan didn’t want her to overthink it… Wei Xiaolu didn’t understand why, and didn’t dare think too deeply about it.

“Then you…” Wei Xiaolu gathered her courage. “How did you respond to him? Was it really like Qi Lang said… that you broke things off?”

Shen Siyan set down the bottle.

“More or less,” she said with a smile. “But it doesn’t matter. Breaking away from them is liberating too.”

“But…” Wei Xiaolu hesitated for a moment. “If you fall out with your family like this, won’t you be really upset?”

Wei Xiaolu didn’t have that kind of decisiveness. Just thinking about cutting off contact with Tang Xiaofen and Wei Zongqing made her eyes sting and her heart ache, though then she also thought that it would mean being separated from that smug little punk Wei Jialuo, and she didn’t feel quite as bad.

She looked at Shen Siyan; Shen Siyan didn’t answer right away. She just looked at her like that, still as a statue.

That motionless look made Wei Xiaolu panic, but she did nothing; she simply endured it in silence.

After a long while, Shen Siyan finally came to life and said with a soft laugh, “But compared to a life being controlled, I’d rather choose the freedom I have now.”

Shen Siyan didn’t say whether she was upset.

But Wei Xiaolu was already feeling sad for her.

“CEO Shen,” Wei Xiaolu couldn’t help leaning a little closer, wanting to reach for Shen Siyan’s hand to comfort her. Just as she was about to extend her hand, she felt it would be disrespectful to her superior and quickly pulled back, straightening her posture. “I think you did the right thing. Staying true to yourself is really amazing.”

“You have quite a sweet mouth.” Shen Siyan propped an arm up, resting her chin on it as she leaned toward her. “But in a lot of people’s eyes, I’m throwing away naturally excellent resources and ruining my own future.”

“That’s not true!” Wei Xiaolu only realized how anxious she sounded after she finished. “Those resources… if they have to be exchanged for a marriage that goes against your heart, then they’re the ones not worth it.”

Shen Siyan’s expression held a trace of regret as she half-smiled. “It’s not like that. Once you’ve worked a few more years, you’ll understand. What I did today was actually very unwise.”

“How could it be?” Wei Xiaolu said. “This is the wisest choice. You were never going to marry a man anyway, so now you’re free! That’s so brave.”

At her words, the regret on Shen Siyan’s face vanished instantly, replaced by a kind of amused pleasure.

She leaned forward, looking at Wei Xiaolu intensely. “I think I’ve discovered something now. No matter what I say or do, over here with little sister, it can always be interpreted in a hundred good ways, right?”

That was indeed how humble subordinates were.

Being exposed so directly, Wei Xiaolu felt a little embarrassed, but she still forced herself to argue quietly, “Th-that’s because beautiful lady, whatever you do is good.”

Sneaking a glance at Shen Siyan, Wei Xiaolu added in a whisper of sincerity, “Anyway, in my eyes, you’re good at everything.” After thinking about it, she added another line: “Perfect.”

Ah, how could there possibly be a perfect person in this world? Wei Xiaolu thought. That really wasn’t good; she had already been eroded by a kind of near-blind worship.

Shen Siyan’s eyes trembled.

“Oh?” She lifted a hand and pinched Wei Xiaolu’s left cheek. “Then that makes me want to do something bad.”

Wei Xiaolu’s face heated up again.

She felt this really couldn’t go on like this; she was the only one blushing and retreating all the time. That wasn’t fair.

She lifted her chin and challenged, “Then… go ahead and do it.”

As soon as she said it, she got scared again and hurriedly added, “I know you’re the best; you wouldn’t be able to do anything bad.”

Shen Siyan looked at her for a while, then stood up.

“Just kidding,” she said, taking the mineral water and drinking two mouthfuls. “Right, the task for the work group is basically finished. When are you ending your internship?”

Wei Xiaolu felt light and unreal all over. “Ah, oh… maybe as early as next week. I still need to hand over some work.”

“Alright.” Shen Siyan gripped the mineral water bottle and walked off without looking back. At the door, she suddenly said in a rather indifferent tone, “Finish the handover as soon as possible.” She opened the door to leave, then turned back and added, “But there’s no need to rush too much. A celebration banquet is arranged for next week; relax with everyone a bit before you go.”